Could an internal rift be forming within the Cleveland Browns’ organization as the 2017 NFL Draft approaches? Reports earlier this week suggested that the team was torn between Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett and North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the first pick in this year’s draft.
That came after months of speculation that Garrett was a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Browns.
The issue here is that Cleveland finds itself in a horrendous quarterback situation with the likes of Brock Osweiler and Cody Kessler on the roster to compete for a starting job. That’s most definitely not a winning strategy.
And with New England steadfast on not wanting to trade Jimmy Garoppolo, options are severely limited for the Browns to upgrade at this position.
Now comes this report from the Cleveland Plain Dealer‘s Mary Kay Cabot indicating that it’s head coach Hue Jackson who is the individual pushing Cleveland to select Garrett over Trubisky with the first pick.
This should be a red flag for other key decision makers in the Browns’ front office, general manager Sashi Brown included. Cleveland brought Jackson in as its head coach prior to last season primarily due to the fact that he’s widely respected as a quarterback whisperer around the NFL. If he’s pushing for a defensive player No. 1 overall, others should listen.
There’s also another scenario in play here that suggests Cleveland could nab both Garrett and Trubisky early in the draft. That would include a trade up to No. 2 with San Francisco.
New 49ers general manager John Lynch has indicated his team is open for business when it comes to that pick, and Cleveland has the draft capital that’s the envy of the league.
Stay tuned, this appears to be far from settled.